Bafana Bafana will field a weakened side against Mauritiius but some of the players will not be missed
Andrew Muchineripi South African football supporters can be an annoyingly arrogant bunch at times, especially when the national team is playing one of the so-called minnows of Africa.
This weekend is a case in point with many members of the Bafana Bafana fan club dismissing Mauritius as little more than a gentle bump on the road to Mali and the 2002 African Nations Cup.
After all, they say with more than a hint of superiority, we have played Mauritius six times and never lost, so why should anything change at the Anjalay stadium in Bellevue.
Of course, there is no reason why anything should change come Saturday afternoon in a clash of the top and bottom countries in Group 2 of the biennial championship.
On paper, it has to be labelled a mismatch, a showdown between David and Goliath if ever there was one. South Africa are ranked first on the continent, 28 places above Mauritius.
However, just two years ago a much stronger South African team than the one that will take the field this time round was lucky to escape with a 1-1 draw against a highly motivated Mauritian side. Coach Carlos Queiroz must do without goalkeeper Hans Vonk, defenders Bradley Carnell, Mark Fish and Lucas Radebe, midfielders Quinton Fortune and Thabo Mngomeni and striker Benni McCarthy.
I shed no tears for Holland-based Vonk, who does not seem interested in representing his country save for high-profile occasions like the World Cup and behaved like a spoilt brat when dropped in favour of Andre Arendse.
Frankly, the same applies to Fish, a once-promising young defender whose value is now grossly exaggerated. Witness the number of goals English Premiership club Charlton Athletic have conceded since his arrival.
If Vonk and Fish never play for South Africa again it will be too soon as far as this humble scribe is concerned. Besides there are plenty of equally good goalkeepers and defenders available so let us pick those who want to play.
At this juncture one must praise Queiroz, who has not rushed in where fools dare to tread and begged the pair to return. Leave them where they are, Carlos, out in the cold. While it may border on heresy to suggest the absence of Radebe is not the end of the world, recent performances by the Leeds United and Bafana Bafana captain have been below par. Is this due to a series of injuries he is busy trying to recover from, or has his confidence been shaken by the recent signing of heir-apparent Rio Ferdinand from West Ham United?
Whatever the reason, or reasons, Rhoo did not look his usual self in the recent Nations Cup qualifier against Liberia at FNB stadium and was, literally, left standing at times. One must also accept that Lucas is no longer a spring chicken. He is 31, which, although not exactly walking-stick age for a defender, is certainly moving towards the sunset.
Neil Tovey, the man Radebe succeeded as captain and defensive kingpin, played until his mid-30s and remains, to me, the finest defender to wear Bafana Bafana colours. So, hopefully, Lucas will regain the skill and timing that have turned him into one of the best Premiership defenders when at his peak with the 2002 World Cup perhaps bringing the curtain down on an illustrious international career.
Carnell played superbly in the goalless draw against France but, like most of his team-mates, will want to forget the Liberian encounter as quickly as possible.
Mngomeni is another player we certainly could have done with on the Indian Ocean island as it was he who finally got Bafana Bafana moving against George Weah and his Liberians after coming on as a substitute.
In fact, with Fortune also out of contention due to a minor operation, there are just five midfielders for Queiroz to choose from, including late replacement Tebogo Mokoena of Jomo Cosmos.
Barring more unforeseen problems, the middle four have to be Sibusiso Zuma and Delron Buckley on the flanks with Dumisa Ngobe and Godfrey Sapula in the engine room.
Arendse should be the first-choice goalkeeper behind Cyril Nzama, Pierre Issa, Frank Schoeman and Jacob Lekgetho and I would happily settle for a strike force of captain Phil Masinga and Bradley August.
Mauritius also have problems with key striker Jean-Marc Ithier, who created havoc two years ago through an extremely physical approach, ruled out by a groin injury. Expect Bafana Bafana to win, but it will be no walkover.